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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25374862">Sir, I Admit Your General Rule</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Honorable_mention/pseuds/Honorable_mention'>Honorable_mention</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Through Caverns Measureless to Man [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ambassador Sokka (Avatar), Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Engagement, Fluff, Gay Zuko (Avatar), Gen, Hakoda (Avatar) is a Good Parent, M/M, Southern Water Tribe, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:21:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,653</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25374862</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Honorable_mention/pseuds/Honorable_mention</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which the Gaang finds out Sokka and Zuko are dating, and Zuko becomes reacquainted with Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hakoda &amp; Zuko (Avatar), Sokka &amp; Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang &amp; Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong &amp; Zuko</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Through Caverns Measureless to Man [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1823935</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1049</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sir, I Admit Your General Rule</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Things reached a certain level of normalcy after Aang defeated Ozai. Zuko was crowned the Fire Lord, a daunting and yet exhilarating honor. As he knelt down to accept his crown, he hoped that this was the start of something new. He couldn’t fathom what it might be, but he knew it would be beautiful.</p><p> </p><p>Sokka became Ambassador of the Southern Water Tribe, an important honor that also happened to allow him time with Zuko. Private time spent only on the most important diplomatic matters, if you talked to their advisors. If the Ambassador and the Fire Lord seemed to spend more than a little time together outside of meetings, well, no one at the court mentioned it. Somewhere in the back of his mind Zuko knew that there was nothing to be ashamed about in his relationship with Sokka, but he needed time before he told the rest of the world.</p><p> </p><p>The Gaang, however, really should have been informed earlier.</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>It had started as a good day. Uncle had finally convinced Zuko to take a day off of his duties as Fire Lord, and Katara, Aang, Toph, and Suki were visiting the Fire Nation on trips of varying degrees of diplomatic urgency.</p><p> </p><p>Sokka practically trampled his sister running to sweep her into a hug, and both the siblings were crying as they embraced. Aang bellowed when he saw Suki, who ran up to him and threw herself around his neck.</p><p> </p><p>“Sparky!” Toph punched him in the arm as she came up next to him.</p><p> </p><p>“Good to see you too, Toph.” He looked down at her, a bit disturbed to realize she was creeping up on him in terms of height. </p><p> </p><p>“I have to say, Suki’s great but she just can’t compare to you in terms of broodiness.”</p><p> </p><p>“Should I take that as a compliment?”</p><p> </p><p>“If you want to,” she said with a smile.</p><p> </p><p>Eventually everyone came back together, although Aang hung off Katara’s shoulder and Sokka and Toph occasionally made vague allusions to some sort of trouble they planned to get into. Zuko wasn’t sure whether or not he should be concerned by either thing he noticed, although he was sure Toph would manage to keep Sokka alive no matter what.</p><p> </p><p>They spent the rest of the day becoming reacquainted, although really they didn’t learn much. Aang and Zuko sparred as Toph threw harmless jabs and occasionally pointed out things for Sokka to see, a trick he perpetually fell for.</p><p> </p><p>Dinner was a multi-course affair, complete with sea prunes (better than Zuko expected, although not nearly as delicious as duck or fire flakes) and tea freshly brewed by Zuko, under his uncle’s tutelage.</p><p> </p><p>As they were winding down, Sokka moved to rest his head against Zuko’s shoulder. They sat there a second before Sokka whispered to him and they quietly left for a few minutes to a favorite private hallway.</p><p> </p><p>When they got back, Toph had an unreadable expression on her face, although that wasn’t going to stop Zuko from trying to figure out how she was feeling. Upset perhaps? Angry? Confused, disgusted, hungry?</p><p> </p><p>“You guys know that I feel stuff through the ground, right?” She asked, pointing at Sokka and Zuko. They both nodded. “So moving behind a wall wouldn’t stop me sensing what was happening?”</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly her implication dawned on Zuko.</p><p> </p><p>“I swear it wasn’t what you thought it was!”</p><p> </p><p>“Zuko, there is almost nothing you could have said more incriminating than that,” Suki said before taking a bite of her rice.</p><p> </p><p>“Sokka? What’s Toph talking about?” Katara asked, concern in her eyes as she looked at her brother. His cheeks was red.</p><p> </p><p>“You know, just diplomacy stuff. Really advanced peace talks. I’m sure you’d find it boring.” He paused for a moment before stuttering out that he didn’t think his sister wasn’t good at politics and diplomacy, she was, just this specific topic would be boring.</p><p> </p><p>“So that’s what you call it,” Toph smirked, “diplomacy.”</p><p> </p><p>“Toph, can we please discuss this later?” Zuko begged.</p><p> </p><p>“Nope. If you want to go make out with Sokka in the hallway, this is what you get,” Toph said. </p><p> </p><p>“Wait, Sokka, what?” Katara’s forehead scrunched up. “You’re dating Zuko?”</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, yeah. Surprise?”</p><p> </p><p>“But he’s,” she paused, “you know.” She pointed at Zuko and did a little motion to mimic something no one could quite decipher.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh come on, he’s cute,” Sokka said, pulling Zuko toward him and giving him a peck on the cheek. Zuko blushed against his will.</p><p> </p><p>“Gross.” Katara said, sticking her tongue out, although the edges of her lips still quirked into a smile. “Zuko, you better not hurt my brother.”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course not,” he replied. </p><p> </p><p>Throughout the conversation, Aang and Suki had moved next to each other. Casual observers.</p><p> </p><p>“Did Katara really not know they were dating?” Aang asked Suki. His head was quirked to the side, resting on his arm.</p><p> </p><p>“Apparently not.” She finished her rice and pushed it away.</p><p> </p><p>“They are cute though,” he said, ever the hopeless romantic, sparkly eyes and easy grin. </p><p> </p><p>“Speak for yourself. You didn’t have to be there for their flirting on the way back from Boiling Rock.”</p>
<hr/><p>The first thing Zuko noticed about the South Pole was how cold it was. Not just cold, but truly bone-chilling. Zuko spent the whole trip with a small flame cradled to his chest and his teeth still chattered.</p><p> </p><p>“How can you guys survive down here?” Zuko asked. He and Sokka were sitting in their cabin. They’d been up on the deck, but Sokka had nudged them downstairs after noticing that Zuko’s scar was turning blue on the edges.</p><p> </p><p>“You get used to it,” he said, snuggling closer. “Plus you’ve been here before. How’d you manage then?”</p><p> </p><p>“Pure anger.” Sokka laughed, that beautiful, beautiful sound.</p><p> </p><p>“That sounds about right. I’m so glad you don’t have that stupid ponytail anymore, it wasn’t doing you any favors.”</p><p> </p><p>“You had a ponytail too.”</p><p> </p><p>“But yours was worse.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re not wrong,” Zuko said with a shrug.</p><p> </p><p>They sat together for a moment, enjoying each other’s company, before Sokka spoke. “Are you ready to meet my dad?”</p><p> </p><p>“Chief Hakoda? We’ve met before.”</p><p> </p><p>“But really meet him, as my partner.” Sokka and Zuko had been dating for three years now. Being near Sokka made him feel safe, secure, happy. When he was stressed out, Sokka always knew the perfect way to calm him down. And Zuko trusted he could do the same for Sokka.</p><p> </p><p>And now he was meeting his father. Nothing daunting about that. </p><p> </p><p>“I hope I’m ready.”</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Chief Hakoda’s cheekbones rested against his skin. He was tall and strong and, when he saw Sokka and Zuko, he pulled them both into a crushing hug.</p><p> </p><p>Sokka babbled to his father excitedly for a few minutes before remembering to formally introduce Zuko, who was waiting on the sidelines. Zuko couldn’t hold it against him though; he always did the same thing with Uncle Iroh.</p><p> </p><p>Things went well over the next few days. Hakoda didn’t hate Zuko, and Zuko managed to stop himself from flinching every time Hakoda laughed at a joke too loudly or came in too close behind him. </p><p> </p><p>But then Hakoda invited him on a fishing trip.</p><p> </p><p>“Sokka! I need your advice.” Zuko was tapping his foot looking for Sokka before he finally found him. “Your dad invited me on a fishing trip. What do I do?”</p><p> </p><p>“You go fishing. It’s not that complicated.”</p><p> </p><p>“But how do I talk to your dad?”</p><p> </p><p>“Like a normal person?” Sokka laughed with the barest hint of genuine confusion, although he was used to Zuko when he got anxious by this point in their relationship. “Here, sit down.” He patted the spot on the mat beside him.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m just nervous.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know, it’s okay. My dad likes you. And he trusts my judgement, and I told him you were cool. Everything’s going to be fine.”</p><p> </p><p>“You sure?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah. If you can run a country I think you can talk to one middle-aged man.”</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Zuko was not good at fishing. This quickly became clear as Hakoda’s pile free and Zuko struggled to attach his line to his hook. He really hadn’t gotten much out of those three years at sea, and his fishing on the raft had ended with less than stellar results. </p><p> </p><p>“Son, I didn’t really bring you here to fish. It’s fine if you just sit back and we talk.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’ll be more work fixing that line,” Hakoda said. He smiled. “I really only brought you out here to discuss my son.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sokka?”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s the only one.” Hakoda caught a fish but threw it back in when he saw it’s minuscule size.  “I just want to know your intentions with him.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I just want to say that your son is an amazing man. He’s-”</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t have to sell me on him, I already love him. But what’s your plan? Long-term?”</p><p> </p><p>Zuko thought for a moment. “In all honesty, I was hoping I’d get the honor of marrying him one day.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”</p><p> </p><p>Later, Hakoda taught Zuko how to carve an engagement necklace. However, neither of them felt that was truly appropriate for Sokka, so they embedded the stone into the hilt of a dagger.</p><p> </p><p>Zuko promised to be there for Sokka, to get used to the cold of the South Pole if they got to be there together. Sokka swore up and down he’d already discussed Fire Nation engagement customs with Uncle Iroh.</p><p> </p><p>When they announced their engagement to the Gaang, Toph sighed and paid Suki a few gold pieces. Apparently there had been a betting pool going about how long it would take them to get engaged.</p><p> </p><p>But after that they celebrated and Zuko fondly watched Sokka laughing with Suki and Aang. He hoped he would get the honor of watching that laugh for as long as he remained in this world.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is technically a companion to my fic Seven Deaths in Seven Times, but you can still definitely read it as a stand-alone. </p><p>This started out as part of the epilogue to my last fic, but it got a bit out of hand so I just added a bit and made it a desperate fic. I hope y’all like it!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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